Homeschool & Scrapbooking & Kid Crafts & Jane Austen

July 31, 2005

What do this Lo from like 6 months ago and these buildings have to do with each other? The Monday Challenge Baby! Are You Ready? (ok too much build up) The challenge - to write down the funny, tender, gotta remember them things people say to you this week. Go ahead and write down any thing you have been meaning to remember. For me - it was these buildings and what David said when he saw them like 4 years ago. "Those are the legoist buildings I have ever seen." Ok - not stand up comedy kind of stuff. Not taking him out to open mic night at the comedy club. But funny and sweet to us b/c the kid is a lego nut. Has been since he was two. So, on the way it Ikea....we drove past the buildings. I snapped this bad picture of them. I wrote down the quote in my calendar. I always write them there because then I can remember when it was said. (Unless it is 4 year later...and then it is good because I keep all my calendars for years to refer back to about dates and events) SO 1. Write down any already said stuff. 2. Listen up - your kids say sweet or funny things all the time. And it doesn't have to be kids. It could be a sweet thing someone else says. I will post my example of this tomorrow:) I just got a good one in the mail from my sweet friend. 3. Write down the new stuff people say. I promise there will be something great this week uttered by someone in your house or on your phone. And if you make it until Friday with nothing - call me because I am really funny and so worth quoting:) (OK -NOT...I am bland bland bland on the phone...Cami would never say it...but I am) Thanks for no one saying I am bland bland bland here. I applaud you for not saying that. NOW - 4. Scrap it. Scrap the quote. Not mandatory. Just for fun. So I don't have a picture of the moment David said this thing about the buildings. But I do have a pic of the buildings and I know I have pics of him around the right age. It may look like barf when I am done. It has happened before. Then, if you post them at two peas and e-mail me or let me know on the comments (along with user name) I can link it to here. Only a link. I know - it too complicated and way too much work and really - weren't you gonna just do other things this week? Ok - at the very least leave a comment with your fun quote. Oh come on. It will be fun. Group Barf:) kellicrowe

Good morning boys. Your teacher today will be Mommy.EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!Ok, so Aug 1 snuck up on me.I am not really as ready as I would like to be for school tomorrow.But here is my random advice - it is ok not to be ready. It is ok not to have finished your research or planning. It is ok to still have questions. Like lots of questions. And really - when are you ever completely ready for something? I am never finished getting ready for a trip. The time just comes for us to leave. Was I finished with evey detail of my wedding - nope. Got married anyway. I don't think you have to have all the answers before you start something.

Next - it is ok to totally ditch your plan and get a new one. I was all about the box set of Sing, Spell & Read....(and maybe write?) Bought it. Used it and I hated it. David didn't like it at all. The idea of it was good but 2 things. 1. I can not sing a bit. Not even a tiny bit. I am bad. Like I sing by myself in the car sometimes and actually say out loud afterwards..."now that was bad." So a program that needs me to sing along with it is not a smart choice. David, very musically inclined, doesn't like to hear other people sing. It is a sensory thing. Gee - I wonder if his mom's voice had anything to do with that?? So not a good program for him. But it was bright and pretty and we had already paid for it and couldn't take it back. I now use parts of it here and there. No singing though.

Next - (lets call this #3 - kay?) look around your community for programs to take advantage of. In our little town we have a nature center, the fire department, the police department, veterans groups, etc. There are a lot of programs out there thru the YMCA, your county (those taxes are going towards them), you town, churches, civic organizations. I started with the home page for my town. Then, when I went to the Nature Center, I picked up brochures about other places. Of course there are places like the zoo, museums, historical spots that are most likely close by as well.

4. Remember - you do not have to teach your child everything all at once. So don't feel like you have to visit a lot of places or sign them up for sports, music, art & pet grooming all at once. My kids still need to have a broad experience in activities. But I can tell you that I am no longer looking to sign David up for sports. He just isn't into it. At 8 he is already starting to specialize in areas where he has strengths.

5. Free time to learn, explore and play is an amazing thing. My kids have lots of free time. It works for us. I have a friend. When I was at her house she changed our activity every 15 minutes. Play here. Snack. Play outside. Snippet of a video. Draw. 15 minutes isn't that long. I mean, stuck in traffic with a crying baby...it is forever. Waiting for your 3 year old to walk down the sidewalk when he has to stop and jump over each crack in the pavement..(Max, dude, come on!)..15 min = years. But I remember each time we went there - I was exhausted. She said we had to keep the kids moving so they wouldn't get bored. Well, I had to check my pulse a couple times. Didn't know I would have to do stretches before I went to a play date. Maybe that works for you - but for us, discovery takes place when I back up and give my boys a chance to soak up information, an experience or just free time. That is when they come to me with a little book they made. (Now, that sounds sweet...usually they are books of zombies coming up out of the dirt....blowing things up; your general carnage) They "invent" games or robots out of boxes. Free time - it's a good thing:)

6. Look for a group in your community. 4-H, boy scouts, a homeschool group. It will be fun for your kids to have a consistent social/learning group. We still haven't found one and this will be our 3rd year. We found a homeschool group close by but they were very unorganized and didn't have any kid's my boy's ages. There is another one farther away that we are trying out this year.

7. I joined Home School Legal Defense Association. It is about $120 a year. That is a lot. After 10 years - you don't have to pay anymore. (woohoo) Here is the web site: www.hslda.orgCheck it out. I get a monthly magazine (thin) with homeschool articles and the current law cases in each state. Yes. People go to court over homeschooling. Here is what the most common issue is (as far as I have seen): A family homeschools. A well meaning person thinks the family just isn't sending thier kids to school and reports them. Or, a disgruntled neighbor gets mad about the family dog and tries to make trouble by reporting the family for not properly educating the kids. Or, the kids are seen out and about instead of at school and appear truant. A social worker shows up at the door. The can demand to come in or see the kids - but legally (as I understand it) you do not have to let them in. If that were to happen to me, I would close the door. Then I would call the HSLDA hotline. If the lawyer on call couldn't take care of my issure right away over the phone or by sending letter, etc as my lawyer - a lawyer would be dispatched to aid me. This is a situation I think will never happen. But I like to be covered. And I like having a reference for how I need to address situations legally. I have a child that can be considered special needs - I have this organization to help me understand the law as it applies to him and standardized testing. Anyway - I am not saying at all that anyone needs to join this. Look at their web site. I am also not saying people are going to try make you life hard by turning you into social services. Not at all.

Ok - that is pretty much all I got. My first day of 2nd grade with David and 1st grade with Alex is in the morning. We have brand new Star Wars underwear for the boys. I am super excited. I am not super ready. But that is ok:)I can only share from my experience...which is minimal. BUT - Stacey Kingman, Abbie and Abbie's mom all can answer stuff I can't. Like Mrs. Smith - she has been homeschooling since before it was cool. Yeah. And I promise that they all can spell a lot better than me. So I can pass along questions to them. Oh, like a group blog. Or guest bloggers. Ooooooh. Kelli

July 30, 2005

Max ate his whole meal at the Japanese Steak house last Sunday with his chopsticks. I don't think I have ever tried that. In fact, I wouldn't have given the kids the option. But Daddy is more fun and adventurous than Mommy some days. So he said sure.

David built a fort out of his. Alex used the plastic sword securing the cherry to the top of his Shirley Temple drink to stab all the food to eat. Max, used the chopsticks with that were banded together for him. Ate the salad, shrimp, steak and rice. Made a mess. But he could do that no matter what. kelli

There-is something about Ikea that makes me want to say it like IKEA! Like I am yelling it as I chop a block of wood in two with my hand. Anyway - our excellent adventure to Ikea.

Last Wed.

We already know that kelli does not drive in Atlanta unless by court order. So, Abbie - brave thing that she is, drove us:) The kids were excited. Here is the sales pitch I gave 'em: We are going to a big store with mostly furniture. But they have places to eat there, a kids play area and some stuff you may like to see...but no toys. This seemed ok to them. We drive there - like 30 min at the most - and drive around Ikea. And around it. There wasn't a real easy way to get to it from the highway. You could see it...just not get there. So I, smartie that I am, go "look kids, Big Ben. Parliament." Abbie, not getting the allusion to European Vacation - a movie that probably came out before she was born - thought it was funny once I explained. Well, she laughed but now that I think of it it was more a polite kind of thing. We head over to the breakfast/coffee/hot dog eating area. Hot dogs 50 cents. You know there is no meat in those:) Sticky buns - $1 and worth every penny. David got the sticky buns stuck all in his appliance in the roof of his mouth that almost made me throw up trying to help him with. I am NOT a very helpful mommy with stuff like that. Take kids to play are - wooops, Max can't go 'cause he isn't potty trained. D&A seem fine leaving him behind. Ball Pit, fun stuff, movies playing. They give me a restaurant pager and tell me to come back in an hour. I think their security, etc. was pretty good. The place is two floors. It reminded me of an English majorie girl (like me) going to a science museum. Lots of stuff to see, but you could just keep on the main path and only veer off to see things close up when it was especially interesting. They had an area of kids rooms set up, toys, etc. Max had fun there. They had all these apartments set up so you could see how to use their stuff to live in the tiniest little places you have ever seen. We looked for an hour. Skimmed is more like it. Went back to get D&A. Asked them how they liked the play area. Alex said "Great!! We saw two shows!" More TV. That is super. Carted the kids around a little longer. Went to the restaurant - not the cafe like at breakfast - but a mini K&W Cafeteria. Except with good, fresh and yummy food. It was good. Abbie and the three boys and I ate for 13 bucks. That is less than lunch at Chick fil A. Paid. Stood in line forever right after they rang up Abbie's purchase. The guys said he would have to reboot the computer. It had nothing to do with Abbie or the purchase or her credit card. But dont ya just love those moments when something takes a little too long and it LOOKS like it is your credit card they are having trouble with? So - I got this yellow muck box 'cause I got muck and it will look so cute in this box. I got this pet like red lamp for David's room. (Note the little robots with moving parts he built this morning, the book from 1979 about the planets as told by R2 D2 and C3PO that I read until it almost fell apart when I was a kid. And the tooth brush. Hey - we don't leave these things just sitting around....) I got them a fun cushionie thing for balancing on. Gotta take it back. No bolts came with it. Got some wrapping paper for Christmas (QUIZ:WHAT COLOR DID I SAY I AM COLLECTING PAPER IN FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR? A prize to whoever knows - other than Abbie:) The pic of the kids - during the wait on the computer system to reboot. The D&A were asking Max how much he loved them. Alex is loved 4, David and Mommy 3. They were really into the conversation. Max, as you can see, HATED to be the center of his two brother's attention:) Waved to Daddy's building as we drove by it (he works in the tallest building in Atlanta - so easy to see). Unloaded the purchases at home. Procured a Ikea catalogue from a friend and started planning the stratagy for our next trip there. I am shopping for a large table for David's room and items to re-do my closet and a dresser for the guest room. Abbie is decorating imaginary town homes in her head..... A note about ordering from the cat. Their shipping is like $140 no matter what you order under $1000. SO, ordering something for $80 is really expensive shipping. However - ordering furniture (like my craft room table, chairs, the kids' tables in their classroom) that is heavy - it is a good deal. Just FYI. It isn't that I want my home decorated by IKEA!...but we have been very pleased with what we have purchased there. Store was bright and clean. Happy people work there. We will see about that customer service when we return the cushionie thing. If that goes well, then congrats IKEA! kelli Crowe is a very loyal customer. kelli

July 29, 2005

I said I was gonna start the school year the first Monday in August. Do you know when that is? LIKE IN 3 DAYS!!! Seriously - did we drop a week in July or something? That also means it is my Dad's b-day on Sunday. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek again. This year we are to study (along with reading, grammar, writing and math) astronomy, Earth science, Greece and Rome up thru the knights. The boys are gonna LOVE it. I am so excited. Just not ready. Well, ready...but not ready ready. OH...I still have to pick up new underwear! That is how we kick off a new school year. That and taking height measurements. Even though we don't go anywhere, I take the kid's picture outside on the porch...like we are going somewhere. I am gonna list some more random thoughts about homeschool and Ikea over the weekend (thanks for calling that to my attention superstar!) AND, I have a challenge on Monday morning for you. You...all 5 people who read this blog. Yes, I'm talking to you. I know. There is a lot to look forward to. Plans to be made. Ok, not really. Goals for the weekend : get ready for school underwear for the boys FINISH THE ATC SWAP CARDS FOR MY CJ GIRLIES make a special *purple* atc for a special girl Oh, and we are going to see The Wedding Crashers tonight...I KNOW what kind of movie it is:) read last ch. of Harry Potter so I can talk about it with Patricia!! kelli

1. bliss is a lo we made in Jenni Bowlin's class "painted effects." She is a great teacher. It was my first class ever:) She was very conversational, organized, had lots of over heads for us to look at to see lots of examples of what she was talking about. We made this. The only thing I changed when i got home was I added the ribbons to 2 tags and the bookplate (I lost the brad for the book plate). Her class was great. I went to her make and take at Scrapit. Fun. She has her own line of found stuff at Scrapit. I would def take her class again.

2. smile - Hero Arts make and take. I thought getting a 12x12 lo done for a make and take was pretty good. Had fun with the stamps. Reminded me that I have stamps. Finally got to see what versamark is. Not so scary. Fun. I really liked their shake up your style workshop too. Probably the one that shook my style the most.

3. Sandy Feet is lo I made in Tracey White's "artistic effects class" She is so funny. I don't know why I was surprise by that. I guess I thought she was gonna be quiet. Nope. This lo was supposed to have a pocket to hold journaling and a thing to put a tape transfer thing on. It was too much - so I left it with this. Way more pastel and shabby than my style - but a fun class. She was also very organized. I have a lot of appreciation for a class that is organized, moves along at a nice pace, but doesn't leave people behind...espec. me. Ok - I think that is offically all of the things I made at cku-m that I kept as is. I will admit, I did bring some stuff home and take it apart to use. I find myself looking forward to the next cku sched. listing in Aug and thinking about location, shopping and who will be there. It is so much more about the experience than just making stuff. That is great too. But now that I have been - I think the other stuff may become more important.

July 28, 2005

Here is what a classy girl says when she hears someone voice an opinion diff from her own: I love you to death, despite our polar oppositeness on the social-political scale. but that's a good thing, right? I like knowing people who are different than me, but still the same. okay, i feel like we need to hold hands and sing "i'd like to teach the world to sing" now... LOL!

Posted by: Lisa | July 23, 2005 05:25 PM

Clearly Lisa, aka gluestickgirl over at 2 peas, has never heard me sing. Bad stuff. Really. Like not able to lead the Happy Birthday portion of my kid's b-day party bad. I wrote a thing about getting to see the President last week (scroll down a few days). I am a fan of his down here in the way red state of Ga. I posted a disclaimer (guess it was more of an exclaimer) that I didn't want my delightful anecdote messed up with other political commentary. I said that as much for me as the anyone else who may stumble across what I wrote.

You know what - when I read something, a post or blog, that is by someone I "know" and they have a diff viewpoint from me - I am surprised. But I kinda PollyAnna it thru life anyway. Like aren't we all just like me? So the surprise + the diff veiw point = a stronger reaction in words than it merited. Sometimes. And diff view points often sound harsher when in print. Like, WOW, this person took the time to think it, type it and then probably read over it and then still sent this. When really, they are typing as they think. Send. Then look back at it. I have been thinking about this after a pal of mine was, what appeared to me, ganged up on for posting her opinion on something a few weeks back.

You know how you see those posts and think - how did this spiral out of control like this? Yep. It was like that. SOOOO, back to miss class act, Lisa (call her gluey in my head). So I read her reponse to my post about the President which oozed conservative Republican. Her answer - she loves me (*blush*) even though we are different. But we got a lot of common groud too. Nice. And to end it all with a musical #, well now, that is lovely.

She is a mom to boys = respect. She is a talented scrapper = respect. Now this = respect respect. I am more likely to actually listen to her in the future about her oppsing view points 'cause I know she can handle talking about it in a nice way. Nice takes you far with me. Nice Respectful Classy Lisa - are you sure you are not a Republican? I AM SO KIDDING! See, classy ain't easy. kellicrowe

July 26, 2005

Our first week trying out the new cookbook. When I say we...I mean Abbie.

What we tried this past week:

pg. 291 Watermelon-Cranberry Agua Fresca drink

um, just ok. Really important to have NO seeds before blending the watermelon.

(I am the goober head that didn't get them out)

pg. 259 Jamaican Barbecued Pork Tenderloin

oh man oh man oh man

this is rocking good

felt like a holiday meal - has a spice rub on it with allspice, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, garlic etc.

smells like Christmas to me

I will say it claims to feed 4...and it ONLY feeds four

pg. 127 Fresh Tomato Soup with Crispy Herb Toasts

yum, filling...but needs salt

the baguette used for the bread - dude, get the soft kind

Anyway - these are the things we tried from this new and healthy cook book last week.

YUM.

I think it may be illegal for me to post the stuff here - so if you want to know how to make any of these - let me know via e-mail. I will now try to link the book over on the left from Amazon. I got mine from a Southern Living at Home Party at my pal Liz's house:) kelli

kellicrowe meets kellidarr superstar...film at 11. So I went to CKU wanting to make some friends and learn some stuff.

I joined a circle journal: Nashville Stars CJ. I received two CJ's before I went to Nashville and Super's was one of them.

I could just tell right off that we had a lot in common. I don't think I asked her if she ever wanted to be friends...but that is really neither here nor there at this point (of no return) for her.

She drove me around for a couple hours with her very sweet and funny and talented friends. She took me to Scrapit! WOW. One of my new fave stores ever! They stayed open until midnight each day of CKU. Shopping in a cool store with EVERYTHING in stock at 11:45 pm can make a girl giddy. Like the doors opened and you kinda expected the Vienna Boys' Choir to break into song.

I would like to thank all of the scrapbookers I have ever met..... That is what I want to type every time I post ANYTHING at 2 peas. I feel like if I have ever seen anything that looks or feels like what I just made...then I need to give them credit.

Even if it really was not related at all to the creative process. If I use a monogram. Ali. Use three pis and embellish it up on the bottom right - Lisa M. Hand cut circles - Margie .Sand or mix my mumbo jumbos and Sara script AC stickers - Stacey K. Squares - Suziebeezie. Solid card stock inked - Shelley.

Really - I sometimes think I have never had an original idea of my own. Other people's original ideas - sure. If I think of something I don't think I have seen before - poof - it is in the gallery the next day...posted by someone else.

Here is a LO (the one with the red flower) - super simple - that I did yest. Nothing really amazing. But I really like it. The hand writing is a little messy - but still, ok. Remind you of anything? It reminds me of a LO by Tara Whitney with the cool tree she made. I haven't posted it yet. I didn't even think of Tara's LO until I finished this one. But I DID think of it. It has that same peaceful easy feeling of Tara's. Ink, color tones, similar item placement. Of course, my fear would be that I would post this and she would think - that look NOTHING like mine. Blech. OR, that I wouldn't give credit...and she thinks blech.

I guess I will post it on Mon morning. Funny that I always think this b/c someone e-mailed me yest to show me a Lo that looked a little like one I did a while back. You know what I thought - I thought they probably had the idea all on their own. I thought they did a better job with that idea. And if they did somehow get it from me - I would have been flattered.

The other LO - 'a' is just something fun. Someone posted on the Pub board a few weeks ago that they thought vellum was out. It made me want to use vellum. Good thing - I realized how much of it I have! Lots of fun AC vellum. It is so out...it is like back in. Just like leg warmers. And macrame. Ok, so maybe not the last one. I put a link to my gallery at 2 peas in the column to the left...at the bottom. And the two places I shop. kelli

July 22, 2005

(Disclaimer....the opinions in this post are in fact the exact opinions of this blog. If you have any issues with what is written here then we, meaning kellicrowe, suggest you click on that typepad home little gray thingie in the upper left and write all your thoughts, valuable indeed, in your own blog as to not distract from a perfectly delightful anecdote of kelli's day that included going to see the President of the United States. A typepad blog is free for the whole first month.)

He wore a very nice brown suit. I had on my only business casual thing I could find in my closet this morning. (Business casual for a stay at home mom - what is that....like pajamas?) So John David called me yest. and said that the President was coming into town to speak. Did I want to go? One of his pals who is chief of staff for Congressman Lender got us the tickets. (Yeah, it was by invitation only {oooooooooo} but we only got to go b/c the congressman's office had extras {oh}. DID I WANT TO GO?

1. I really like our President. I think he is the real deal. I don't say that about a lot of people. I trust him. I am sure there are things we may not agree on (none spring to mind) but who is gonna find someone like that? If someone agreed with all my personal issues then they would be just like me. AND nobody really wants me to run this place.

My first words after seeing the planes hit the World Trade Centers was "Oh, my God." The second thing I said was, "I am so glad George Bush is our President." Trust. Yep.

2. I like politics...but not as an informed person...kinda like People Magazine version of politics. I am sure some of my shallowness may be showing here....but I like the glam side of it. I am a people watcher and watching people in politics is very interesting.

3. Invitation only...pa-leeese! Once again, I think my shallowness is obvious. I can see that. Then John David mentions I need to come with him into the big city when he leaves for work....kelli does NOT drive into Atlanta by herself except for jury duty...which she gets every year....and that is only really because of the possible jail time that not showing up may cause.

We left at 7:20 am. My having stayed up way way late the other night was really weighing on me like extra gravity with some hand weights velcro-ed to that and then an anvil on top of that. I got to go to a meeting with JD with another guy to hear about the mortgage business for an hour and a half. My husband is cute. But I really wasn't stoked about listening to him talk about that.

Guess where we ate breakfast over this meeting? A dinner called THE WHITE HOUSE! All the servers had aprons on with the seal of the White House on it. Funny. I did a good job. I stayed awake, looked interested and kept my mouth shut even when the commentary running in my head to answer a question was truely funny.

The meeting was almost over - about 9:45 and I blurted out - "I left my photo ID!!" Yeah...that is gonna be pretty important when it comes time to go thru security. I did have my Harry Potter book in my purse...but no wallet. I wasn't driving...it didn't seem like a big deal when I dumped that to make room for my 800 pages of HP.

Called Abbie. She loaded the kids in the car and drove into the scary city...which she is actually not scared of at all and drives thru it like it really is just a road and other cars and not the ominous beast that it is with its confusing one way tentacles and trucks that look like they are going to topple over on you.

This is a long story - so lets review. What did I have on? Business casual - a nice print skirt, shirt and comfortable heals. We are now going to rename those comfortable heals. The will forever be known as the "ok to wear, unless you are practically sprinting down 4 city blocks over broken cement in the heat so hot that it makes your feet swell."

Yep. Don't take those shoes. There were 12 protesters. I felt kinda sorry for them. One guy had a sign that said "Jesus was a pacifist" a) Jesus IS...not was b) Um, remember turning over the tables and throwing down in the temple when the guys were selling less than good animals for sacrifice and taking advantage of people? c) Revelations...I don't understand a lot of it...but speaking of throwing down....WOW.

Anyway..... This was a trip to talk about the Medicare changes that have already been made. (DUDE - I was so unaware that they already fixed Medicare...like a while back. See, People Magazine had nothing about that) And to educate people about Social Security reform. I am smart about this topic now. His mom came too! I have heard her speak before and she is FUNNY.

The President and Mrs. Bush (senior) were sitting in a panel group. It was so neat to see them interact. The poked fun at each other. She talked about how proud she is of him for taking on Social Security reform early enough to save it. AND, she mentioned how handsome he looked in his new brown suit. What a nice mom. Then we leisurely walked back. I read HP. (I am only on chapter 4...savoring it) We drove home. I was supposed to ride Marta (our public transportation subway thing) home...well, as far as it goes north and then Abbie would pick me up. But with the London stuff going on and the President being in town...I told John David I really didn't want to. I felt like the President being here kinda shined the type of spot light on the city today that bad guys seem to like.

JD picked up stuff to bring home and work on this weekend. How sweet is he? Now, to rest my poor toes that still have the shape of those shoes - not - to - be - mentioned (a little HP allusion for ya) and get ready for our house guest arriving in a few hours. Here is a picture. We were a lot closer than it looks here. Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom:) AND for only making nice comments to me. kelli

July 21, 2005

3. my new square punch to make itsy bitsy so cute I can not stop making them squares

The answer is #3...although I am not sure I actually asked a question. So my LSS was having an all-you-can-stuff-and-then-zip-into-a-12x12 pouch 20% off sale last weekend. I figured it was a good time to get a few punches...ya know, 'cause I am sooooo economical about stuff like that.

Got this groovy tiny one. Made by Whale. Goes thru so pleasantly - you find yourself wanting to punch. Marvi punches - move over 'cause the Whale ones are SO much easier to use!

Here are two LO's I did last night/early this morning. Because I can not do anything in moderation it seems - another good reason that I do not drink - I will make more. Lots. Until I am sick of this punch. Well, I am prety sure others will get sick of me using it long before I am:) kelli

Ok - so she isn't going to read this blog. She doesn't have a computer. I will call her in just a little bit.

Her box of peaches and pears from gotfruit.com (they are amazing there) should arrive today. They put packages at the front desk where she lives (in a swank retirement apartment/hotel like place). Anyway - everyone SEES that you have a package or flowers or whatever delivered to you.

The only thing she ever asks for are more word search books and cough drops. The cough drop thing is funny to me because I remember she always had cough drops that she let me snack on during church when we visited her.

This is us - 30 years ago. This is a scanned copy of my "first letter" I ever wrote. Check out my penmanship on the names.

Ok - so that is Mom's handwriting. The tag is a scanned copy of Granny's handwriting on the back of the letter explaining what it is. I got that idea from Ali Edwards. She is just clever clever. That is an actual baby diaper pin that was mine. Cloth diapers. God bless you mom. I am amazed that the diaper pin and the letter are still floating around and were handy for this.

Granny and me. She was one of the two most important people to me growing up. I LOVED to stay at her house with her. She made the sourest homemade pickles, the best ever red velvet cake, cream of wheat anytime of day I wanted and raw egg milkshakes.

July 20, 2005

Have you seen the adorable movie "Flight of the Navigator"? It was a fave of mine when I was a kid.

The robot/space ship keeps saying in the nicest of smooth phone voices, "Compliance."

David likes the movie.

Today he had an "appliance" put (GLUED) into the roof of his mouth.

He calls it a "compliance."

I think the crummy day he is now having will make him rethink that movie.

David's appliance will be in the roof of his mouth for 28 days. We will crank it once a day with a key. Then it will just sit there for another 3 months to make sure that his jaw stays widened for his mongo teeth that he has inherited from his mother. I suggested they just pull two on the top and two on the bottom - like they did for me. This didn't go over well with the orthodontist or the dentist. Something about you actually need all your teeth (OH REALLY - then explain wisdom teeth)

Here is the crumminess on top of crumminess. This thing hurts some. The closest his tongue can get to the roof of his mouth is about 1/2 an inch. It makes him drool so much that he couldn't eat a Popsicle's...like lick and then it rolls out of his mouth. He has a really hard time talking. OH YEAH - he has Asperger's.....which is a sensory related thing. He may not ever get used to the feeling. It may agitate him like finger nails on a chalk board for the time it is in his mouth. OH, and eating is a pain. I spent about 5 minutes trying to get a piece of chicken nugget out of the back of it.

AND - he eats no dairy, soy or mushy foods...so the idea of him downing milkshakes is out.

He is mad at me for taking him "to that place."

Sigh.

He hasn't eaten anything other than 1 bite of chicken since last night.

So, that is what is new with us.

Oh, Grandma told David he could pick out any Transformer at Toys R Us today on her.

Mom - Starscream was $49.95. This kid may be in pain...but he hasn't lost his shopping savvey.

July 19, 2005

I am picky about my music. Listened to 50's music, Motown in Jr. High. Listened to 70's and country in High School. Loving the 80's music right now. I am always a little behind on the music scene. Like when Constantine did his version of The Partidge Family's "I Think I Love You" I LOVED IT!! This was on American Idol...for those of you who are under rocks.

Mom had Bon Jovi and cool stuff when I was growing up. My friends thought her music was mine. I'd take them to hear my soundtrack from American Graffiti. I didn't convert a one of them to my music. I have started watching the new TV show.... Rock Star INXS. It is SOOOOOOO good! (mom - it is on CBS - that is THE one channel you get!) Last night - 30 min behind the scenes stuff. Tonight - they all sing. Like Wed or Thurs they have the results show They bring up the bottom 3 vote getters (like on American Idol) AND INXS gets each of the bottom 3 to do INXS songs Then the band picks who goes home Ya know what the winner gets? TO BE THE LEAD SINGER FOR INXS!

WOW.

I had no idea I would like this show so much. I totally love the songs. I am writing them down for my future play list for one day down the road in the future somewhere when I have an ipod.

So maybe just maybe I am a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll... OH, gotta write that one down for the ipod list too! Donny and Marie followed by Queen. Sounds like a nice mix:)

Here is a really really bad pic of me as a rocker

Back in the days when I lived for the stage

Yeah - right I am on the right, dressed in COSTUME to go to a rocker themed party in college.

Note the tatoo with John David written across it. Those fine tipped sharpies HURT writing that on me! On the left - one of my best friends in the world: Kelli Scott.

Yep. Her name is Kelli. Another friend of mine named Kelli. See how cute and preppy she is. Yeah, that isn't a costume. Oh...and this was back when I wore my jeans up high...like around my actual waist. Ahhhhh, the 90's. kellicrowe, rock star

Ok, so I am not organized at all in any natural way when it comes to time management. I can not put it in a container - so I can not keep it tidy that way.

There are several way awesome computer programs for keeping track of grades and plans. Once again - they are in that Dummies book. If you have trouble finding them - let me know and I can look them up in another source. I do not use the computer programs. I may down the road. I use a cheesy looking teacher's planner book.

Down the left side are the days of the week. Across the top - my subjects/items to assomplish (like the Pledge). I plan out 6 weeks at a time. I regroup on Sunday night for the upcoming week. I planned the whole fall last year - was great for a while - but it was easier to stay on track in 6 week blocks.

We start at the begining of Aug. so we ca take off a lot of time during the year. We are going to Disney for a week in Sept. and the beach for 2 weeks in Oct. (Hubby has business at the beach - so yippee for the kids and me)

Both sets of the kid's grandparents are very happy to travel to see us and us to them. When family visits like that - we do not do school. I think that time with grandparents is so valuable. So - with all those breaks...and 3 weeks off at Christmas:) - it takes us until mid June to get our 180 days accounted for by the State of Ga. 4 hours a day, 180 days.

That is really all Ga requires. I send in attendance reports monthly. I send in a letter of intent to homeschool before Aug. How do you find out about your state - the Dummy book gives ref. web sites. Seriously - get the book.

I write in the planner what I want to do. I highlight what we actually do. I write in pencil because it changes. There are some days where we get a lot done. Some...not so much. I add things on Wed. that we did on Tues that may count in a category from the previous day. I count setting the table or unloading the dishwasher from the night before as home ec skills (life skills) for the kids. Not to mention, sorting and counting skills. I write it all down. Everything I can think of. The categories at the top help me to remember what is important to me to teach the kids. That may sound silly - but I need that.

The kids can also see what is coming up. Alex loves to work ahead in Math. He will do several days worth in one sitting so that he has shorter school at the end of the week. I write in holidays and travel. I write in things I need to do in the house and errands. Appointments.

A glorified day planner. Just don't try to stick it in your purse. It won't fit.

Clearly I haven't brain washed the kids enough. I am down 2 in the love scale. Of course, he held up 5 fingers for 3 and 5....... I know, he doesn't know that 5 is greater than 3. I mean if he did...then I am SURE his answer would have been....

He used to say he loved me a grandma. Like grandma is a unit of measuring. Kelvin. Fahrenheit. Grandma. It is a scale all its own.

I told Max I loved him all stacked up to the sky. Alex yelled from the back back seat, "HEY - that is how much you said you loved me!"

Right. Need a diff metaphor for each kid. I just did a LO of Alex and the line that I love him all stacked up to the sky.

When I get a new Epson magenta cartridge (how is magenta always the first color to run out??) I will show it to you. (I still have to print out the pic of Alex)

Alex and David - first day of school - Aug 2004 School Supplies: muscle shirts, new Sponge Bob underwear, and markers. That is what my kids needed for their first day of school.

Me? I needed more. So where do I get my stuff? There are so many resources. So many. I think I got all of mine from that Dummies book.

Here is my fave: I get almost everything from Rainbow Resources. I get a catalogue once a year...almost 1000 pages. It looks a lot like a phone book. Anything I could think of using from games, to early reading books to actual text books.

I own other "how to" books on homeschooling. I have other catalogues. But really - I get everything from the dummies book and this ordering catalogue. Now - there may be a homeschool store close by. Or a Homeschool Expo - even better. If you could possibly look at or hold an item in your hand...that is ideal.

Back to my list of things I want the kids to learn - here is my reference book / text book for each subject item: Adventure Bible Study: My Bible. My husband. Ideas from thier Sunday school class. I didn't buy anything for this. (SO we call it Adventure b/c we have it in a fort we made. We read by flashlight. It just makes it more interesting and blocks out distractions for them. Adventure = fun.

Pledge & memory verse: I bought a small flag that the kids take turns holding as we say the Pledge. I looked the Pledge up on line...Hey, I know it....but just not something I wanted to accidentally teach them wrong.

Memory verse - my Bible. So far I bought a flag.

Journal / Calendar / Weather: Journal = those black and white bound notebooks. They started by just drawing a picture based on a question I asked. Sometimes I got my questions based on what we learned the previous day (draw a pyramid, etc.) Sometimes it was just to know what they thought, to solve a problem about sharing, things that related to our family at the time. I would write what they said. Now they do some writing too. This was one of those long term skills of writing daily / creatively/ expressively that I wanted to start working towards early.

Cal & weather - kept track of that with a big desk calendar from Wal-mart.

Math U Can See - Yep - the first chink in my armor of knowledge. I stink at Math. This has a DVD for me, manipulatives for the kids and books at diff levels. web site: www.mathusee.com 1-888-854-math (6284) Some companies have local reps that you order thru (Usborn books is like that...like Tupperwear) This company is like that too. So, local person to talk to...nice. There were cheaper programs than this - but this was a weak point of mine - so I needed extra help for ME.

Art - my computer, my kid's magazines like Family Fun, Martha Stewart Kids. I am using this year Drawing with Children by Mona Brooks. Got it at Barnes & Noble. Broken down into lessons. This is one of my strong areas - so not a lot was invested in this. I did make a list of artists and then showed my kids their style. We would each week pick a diff one. Like Jackson Pollack was our first one. We just happened to have a children's story book about him already. I took old wrapping paper (UGLY stuff for 90% off a few weeks after Christmas) and rolled out on the yard face down (white side up). And I let them fling paint to music just like JP did.

Def. make a list before you go to Michael's because it is easy to rack up a big bill there with lots of $2.99 items. I stock up when they have sales. Pipe cleaners can be used to teach ANYTHING:)

Creativity - fun thing on Fri, I keep two big containers of mostly recyle items, show boxes, etc. The kids get to just build, create, paint whatever....I help - but they have to pick what to make and figure out how to make it work. Creativity, scientific method, simple machines, self expression, role play all have come into play when letting them work on this. Then they have a show and tell for Daddy (public speaking:) that night. Warning - boys WILL make guns at some point. So - bought nothing really.

History - www.susanwisebauer.com or www.peacehillpress.com That is where I got the Well Trained Mind book (which is an over view of classical ed. for k-12) I use her The Story of the World books. The history of the world in 4 years. Literature, history religion all tied in with stories, crafts and skits and food. I took a humanities course in college that combined all three of these primary subjects together and it really made sense to me to learn about all three at once. Now - my kids' peers in school are not learning some of this stuff right now. They are learning about the USA, their neighborhood, maps, etc. That is ok. We will get to that. This is the main area we have that doesn't match up with reg. school. I bought reference books - atlas, history time line books for this. BUT - these are reference books I will use all 12 years.

Spanish - I stink at Spanish. I taught the kids this year ok. But I want them to learn from someone who can really pronounce things properly. My kids are going to take a class one day a week for an hour. There are most likely lots of these classes the kids can take in your area. We checked with out city and county first, YMCA, homeschool groups and then finally, a friend who already knows the language is a resource. Not a huge deal to me - I NEVER learned another lang in elem. school. So I consider this a luxury item.

Science - At this age - science = FUN! I want the kids to love science way before we get to the heavy stuff. The Well Trained Mind suggests who to plan for each year and topics to explore. I bought an animal encyclopedia. Science projects are way easy to find on line and at Family Fun mag. We subscribe to National Geographic for Kids. The web site - www.nationalgeographic.com/ngkids

Social - I keep track of this b/c I want to be able to show anyone who is worried about my poor sheltered kids that they are out there and a part of society. Any place where they interact with kids, or have meaningful interaction with adults counts for me. Their Bible study at church, play dates b-day parties, teams they play on, clubs, etc....I write it down.

Reading for David - my practical kid. $20 for Teach Your Child to read in 100 Easy Lessons by Englemann, Haddox & Bruner. It took us a lot more than 100 days to do these lessons. A LOT MORE. I started using Bob books (sold in box sets that are super simple early readers) about half way through.

Reading for Alex - loves interaction. I just broke down and bought Hooked on Phonics for him. $$$ - yes. There were lots of these sets on e-bay. But really - it was the timing and his love of computers and sticker charts and bells and whistles (which this has) that works for him. I had tried several other programs and they just were not working for us.

PE - Ick. We have a trampoline outside, a small one inside (fidgety kids have to jump and count to 100 on it for me if they are having trouble paying attention...pe and math:) We go to the pool in the summer, the kids do stretching with me in morning (my exercises...just making them do it too) They have taken gym classes and played soccer and karate. They just haven't found a sport they love. We try to get them, with us, to do athletic stuff. There are classes they can take that are like sports basics kind of classes. Alex will probably take golf lessons this fall from Daddy and a tennis clinic. David doesn't care a thing about sports.

Extra - Ya know - only in elementary school and Jr high do we expect kids to excel at everything. When else in life is any person...adult...expected to do well in every subject and do ok in each sport? When I declared my major in college, it was the first time that it was acknowledged that I stink in higher level math and science. "OH, you want to be an English major? Well, are you interested in this science class for NON - science majors? We have a math class for math loosers...I mean, non - math majors as well." IT ROCKED. I learned the important stuff. There just wasn't the expectation that I should be an A student in everything anymore. I got to specialize in my areas of interest while still learning important stuff across the board. I want my kids to get a chance to specialize now.

Alex is gonna learn step by step with me how to run the Adobe software I just got. (E-bay and then bought the upgrade.....saved $100's) Last year, I gave him lessons with my video camera and my digital camera. Alex is going to take gutar lessons from the teenager down the street.

David loves to draw and build. I try to get him around local artists. He had art lessons this past year. My kids are going to take art lessons from a local artist this year along with another family.

Ok - so that was a lot. These are my resources. There is so much out there. It is easy to get bogged down in choices and spend money unwisely. That is why I made the list and filled in the blanks. And you don't have to learn everything right this minute. Look through your house - I bet you have cookbooks, games, toys, books that are educational in some way. In the early freak out phase - it is easy to forget how much YOU already know and how much you already have. I freak out every year. It is ok and normal.

July 16, 2005

So I read the Homeschool for Dummies. I made notes on what I liked and what I didn't. Some people like to "just let learning happen" and some like strict order, 6 hours of time at a desk. I was in the middle. I made a list of my strengths and weaknesses: like planning, very creative, artistic, ease in teaching history and reading BUT - not computer savvy, bad speller, not so hot at math or science, bad on follow thru.

AND WHAT ABOUT P.E?? I am so horrible at very sport! Clearly - when selecting curric - I would need to keep what I wasn't strong at in mind. I did this because I just knew (and did) buy too much in the way of art and crafts resources. I am pretty good in this area - so I LIKED those resources...books, magazines and supplies. However - it was an area I could save money in because I already have a lot of ideas for crafts. I am creative - if we study something I most likely can make up things to go along with it. I stink at math and science - I knew these would be areas I needed to make sure the resources I selected were friendly to me as the teacher as well as the kids.

I made a list of the things my kids really like. At this point - it was hard to know exactly what learning styles would best suit them. David loves drawing, legos, building stuff, stories and TV. It is easy to jostle his attention. I wanted to use things that would cater to what he already likes. Alex likes computers, games, charts, messy art and science experiments. He has great attention paying skills and loves to please me. However - he likes bells and whistles to keep him interested. Sticker charts and awards motivate him. David thinks they are dumb.

I made a list of categories of learning for my kids and then I went in search of what I thought would best fit. I would imagine most people's would differ. These are not all subjects - but things to learn: Adventure Bible Study, Pledge of Allegience, Memory Verse, Journal. Calendar/Weather, Math, Home Ec., Art , Creativity, Spanish, History, Science, Reading, Night time reading, PE, Special interests.

Almost everything we do falls into these categories. Some were because they have to learn math and reading in K & 1st. Some because it is important to my family. Some because it was just something I did in school growing up and I didn't to leave it out. Now, having made these lists - it helped me wade thru the materials that are available out there. A lot of them are in that Dummies book. There are tons if you do searches on line.

I asked others what they used. I didn't really know anyone personally who homeschooled at the time. I talked to friends of friends. It was helpful to hear about the kids that were using each of these programs. I could say - YES, that sounds like my kid. Or, nice, but my David will never go for that. I will tell you the programs we selected next time. But don't let my list influence you...it is just my list for my family. Remember - you have to find your family sweet spot. OH - that reminds me - this sounds like we must do school for like 8 hours a day. NOPE.

Harry Potter arrived today. On my door step. I was out running errands...and so I could have bought it like 5 times. But this one was just for me. Pre-ordered in Feb.

I opened it and could hear the music. I am really anjoying 1776...but I just might have to put it aside for a few days.

I didn't even look to see how many pages there were...I was concerned my eyes would jump up and read the last page completely without my ability to stop them.

I started to read the HP books a few years ago. I wondered what all the fuss was about. I had quite a few friends "concerned" about the popularity of a book about magic. I read them all up to this one. My thoughts - if I let my kids watch Disney films....then this isn't all that different. Sleeping Beauty seems to have a lot of the same stuff in it to me.

My kids do not have an interest in these books. The films are a little too intense for them as well. Fine. Hubby and I went out on a date night to see the last movie....looking forward to November. Anyway. Harry Potter is at my house. Thought you'd want to know.

July 15, 2005

What I used to get started homeschooling: This Idiot's Guide book is great.

I love how these things are written. Here are the chapter titles:

What is homschooling?

Homeschooling facts and figures

Quick answers to beginner's questions

Getting legal: alternatives to compulsory attendance

Approaches to home education

Finding support

Choosing curriculum: so much to choose from

Sixth grade in a box: using a full service program

Out of the box: planning your own curriculum

Learning at home with 3 and 5 year olds

Homeschooling 6-8 year olds

Homeschooling 9-12 year olds

Teenagers and homeschool

Homeschooling kids with special needs

Testing Other assessments for measuring progress

Keeping record

Getting a grip - keeping burnout at bay

Self directed learning: the key to motivation

Dealing with doubts Involvement in the homeschool community

Cyber learning

There is a glossary Curric. and web sites Homeschool support org. Independent study programs all in the appendix.

So I read this book and I renewed my subscription to Family Fun Magazine. It has great craft/party/experiment's/food info/travel info in it. I keep all of mine. I flip thru them at the beginning of the year and make notes on what might apply to our studies. They have a web site too to ref. stuff. That is it.

My first year was K - so we didn't have to do anything legal with the state of Ga. We read a lot from the kid's own books. Pretty easy way to get started. That was phase 1 of starting. Once I read that book, I made a list of goals for my kids for the school year. What did I want them to learn? The list looked long.

Well, I realized you can learn math skills, listening skills, following directions, socialization and home ec. all by helping mommy make brownies. A lot of things over lap. Now this next part may sound huge - don't panic. We wrote down long term goals we wanted for our kids before we sent them out into the world.

Abbie, who lives with us, is 20. She was homeschooled all 12 years. Yep - back before it was super cool. She helped her dad with his book keeping around the age of 13. She is really handy with tools because she helped her family build her house. (This makes them sound like pioneers...really they live at the beach and are very normal:) She is very capable & mature for her age. Her parents educated her for life..not just the next grade or the next standardized test. That is what we wanted for our kids. Yep - I want them to understand how to diagram a sentence...but I want them to also be able to balance a checkbook, plan and prepare a meal, do their own laundry, etc.

Steven Covey in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ( I am second guessing the title all of the sudden...) he says to begin with the end in mind. Make a plan for how you want the year to turn out. If that doesn't freak you out too much - think 5 years...etc. These plans can change. You don't have to think of everything right now. Now, once you are overwhelmed by all the information and all you want your kids to learn.

Chill. Grab a Dr. Pepper and some chocolates. Watch a movie. (I ALWAYS suggest Pride and Prejudice - the BBC version on DVD...but a nice musical is always a lovely diversion). Then go back and really only focus on what you need for this year. 1 year at a time. Sometimes I only think about 6 weeks at a time. Keep you notes from these early times. How wonderful a thing to look back on one day. Just remember - everything you know, you learned You have a vast experience in learning You have taught your child a ton already so you have experience teaching.

July 14, 2005

KelliDarrSupertar - here are the haircut pics you asked to see:) Really, just trimmed, thinned and straight.

My hair is not straight naturally, so I really like it straightened. My hair is naturally energetic. Enthusiastic. Not curly. Not straight. Just kinda doing its own thing.

I didn't get it highlighted...but it looks blonder. How did he just cut the brown hair?

I think I learned how to do the self portrait from Erin T. in BHG Scrapbook mag. The first one, I forgot and looked at myself. The second one, I remembered to look at the camera...and thusly (my fave made up word) the pic looks like I am looking at myself.

3rd pic - where my hair was this time last year. John David and me in Mexico. I know it is dark - so you can't see what my hair looks like on the sides. Well, there is hardly any there. It was super short. See, now this is what I have been doing with some of my time. Growing hair fast takes energy. Concentration. Sleep. And Dr. Pepper.

Ok, enough silly stuff about me. Just wanted a little something light. Stacey - who is at CHA right now:):):) - I added the book on graphic design to the list on the left so you can see who wrote it, etc. Anyone else stoked about the release of the next Harry Potter book? MEMEMEME! kellicrowe

**pic of my boys on a snow day last winter...and yes, we canceled school for the day**

Here are a few misconceptions about homeschooling I have come across. This is not an exhaustive list. This is what I have found.

1. Homeschooling is too hard

2. I don't know enough

3. I could never handle the kids all day long

4. It is expensive

5. It is cheap

6. I will really mess up my kids

7. I could never do it

8. I will need to wear long denim skirts and learn to bake bread

9. My kids will seem weird

10. Socialization concerns

11. My family will never go for it

12. I don't know where to start

13. Homeschool parents think their kids are smarter and that everyone should homeschool

Ok - so these are just off the top of my head. Lets begin with #1.

1. Homeschooling is too hard. Well, it is a big thing to think about. If you think about it in 1 year increments it is less of a scary beast. It is hard some days. It is easy some days. Like parenting or a job. Nothing is a walk in the park except a walk in the park. So don't expect it to be easy or hard. Expect both...like in life.

2. I don't know enough. No one does. You would have to recall everything from K-12th grade. Don't panic. You don't need to know that much. You just need to know where to get it. You will answer some questions your kids ask wrong. You may do that if they attend school. As a parent, you have probably figured out how little you really know already. Albert Einstein said he didn't need to clutter his mind with information he could look up. Or was that Thomas Jefferson who said it? One of them did, and I know a web site where I can go and look it up if I want. I don't. So let go of that concern. I am a terrible speller. I can't remember why I walked up the stairs much less where Bunker Hill is. It is OK.

3. I could never handle the kids all day long. Ok - only you know the answer to that one. I have some friends who are so worn out this summer. They keep saying they just don't know how I do this every day - "being with the kids ALL DAY LONG." I know they love their kids just like I do. I figured something out though - my kids are USED to being home. They know the drill. I am not entertaining them all day. If your kids are used to a school environment then they are used to more stimulation. (Stimulation is not good or bad here - it just is) Lots of parents try to keep up this level of stimulation thru the summer - camps, swimming, baseball, etc. It is exhausting to hear some people's days. You just can't re-create a classroom with a bunch of kids in it) Well, if your family thrives on that - go for it. I know plenty who really do. My family thrives on quantity time. (Again - quantity time and baseball are not good or bad - they just are. Ever visit a family pretty different than your own? You leave saying, "How do they live like that?" Well, they are talking about you too. Every family has to find their sweet spot of existence. I say this so I don't have to keep telling you I am not judging this stuff as good or bad - ok?) So, the kids get used to staying at home and you do too and you adjust.

4. It is expensive. It can be. Depends on what you use for curric, projects, field trips, etc. I love reference books. I always have. So I like to own books instead of borrowing books from the library. Remember how fun it was to buy new school supplies in the fall? A fresh stack of notebook paper. A new Trapper Keeper. Oh yeah. Well, buying school supplies for home can be like that. You can get too much. Research first. Ask others. Then buy. I do not recommend going to a Homeschool Expo or store with no plan and to just start buying what looks good. I speak from experience here.

5. It is cheap. It can be. We were all for putting our first son in private school. The second one..ok. Then we had the third...we thought about just picking our favorite and sending him. (JK) TO send all 3 to private school would be very tight and almost impossible to save for college for them. So with that respect - yeah, my Husband was all for homeschooling. There are books like "Homeschooling on a Shoestring Budget." I keep all kinds of boxes, egg cartons, etc. for craft projects with the kids. I buy paint and supplies when it is on sale. I plan and save and prioritize just like with other things. I have a monthly allotment in my budget for hs (homeschool) stuff. And some stuff isn't like you use it up and never get it back. A dictionary is forever.

6. I will really mess up my kids. You may. But you could do that without homeschooling them. You love them. You want the best for them. You will not mess them up. I am not comparing my kid's reading skills to the kids in public school. I compare them to my goals for each of them. I learned to read in 2nd grade. Some kids learn before kindergarten. Both are just fine and normal. There is so much emphasis on teaching kids the right thing at the right time. It is important. This is true. But the window isn't as tiny as it sounds in the magazine articles.

7. I could never do it. Maybe. You know yourself. For me, I have my hubby ask the kids and me what we did each day over dinner. I knew my greatest weakness would be the follow thru with all that I had planned. I like planning. You need to figure out your goals. You need to figure out your strengths. Get help in the other areas. Oh - and you may yell at your kids. You know what, sometimes teachers do that. Or they want to. No one is going to fire you. Do not yell at your kids. I am not saying that is ok. But wanting to yell at them is just part of parenting. (And please do not e-mail me to say you have never wanted to yell. I just might scream.)

8. I need to wear long denim skirts and learn to bake bread. Well, this is true. To join the cult you really must do this. NO WAY! My denim skirt hits about the knee. I buy my bread. Hey - to take my kid's to their very very private school - I felt like I had to drive a SUV and play tennis. (We are mini van folk) So everyone has a perception of what another person or role should be like. Get over it.

9. My kids will seem weird. They may seem different. They "do" school instead of "go" to school. Ooooo. I was pretty weird and I went to school. I never really fit in there. So. If you make it seem normal to do school at home or go to school - either one is just fine - then you kids will do the same. Hs is really prevalent enough that it doesn't seem weird to people anymore..just different. Gap just released their fall clothes on line. There is a shirt that says "Too cool 4 school." See.

10. Socialization. One of the biggest questions you will get asked. Big because you never know what the other person means by socialization. I got 3 boys. I don't need play group. They are a play group. Getting along with your siblings is one of the most valuable lessons I can teach my kids. They have play dates. They have played sports, take lessons like drama and art. We live near other people with kids. We are members of a pool. Man, like everywhere I look, socialization. And not all socialization is good. Ever have to un-teach your kid something another kid or TV taught them? People give school too much credit for socialization and not enough to the parents. You can not re-create the social aspects of a classroom with 20 kids in it...unless you go out and get 19 kids to add to your own. Don't underestimate their time with YOU & family members. When else in your life, except in k-12, are you in a room with 20 other people all your age? (all facing forward and doing the same thing?) You can do web searches for homeschool groups in your area. There are some in Atlanta that have their own marching bands and sports groups and proms.

11. My family will never get it. Do your research. Listen to questions. If you have an answer, say it. If you don't, don't panic. Don't lie. Don't pretend that you have already figured it all out. Say, "we are still processing how we are going to take care of that/ experience that/ etc." You can show your family links to homeschool groups in your area, refer them to books that were helpful. People probably questioned some of your parenting choices too that you felt like they didn't get and you needed to defend. Nursing. Everyone has an opinion. Too long, too short, I had that problem and solved it XYZ. You figured out how to get them on board or ignore them in other things. This isn't any different.

12. I don't know where to start. Ok, this is the first good one. I will talk about how I started in another blog entry...seeing as how this is soooo long already.

13. Homeschool parents think that their kids are smarter and that everyone should homeschool. Homeschool parents really don't care that you send your kids to school. Public school isn't a terrible thing. They are not judging you all the time. So you don't have to tell them how you could never do it or stick them on a pedestal. If you want to say nice things about me...say something about my hair...or how well behaved my kids are (heehee) or how lovely the scrapbook page I just finished is. I am lazy. I could turn right back around and say "I could never get up early, get the kids fed and out the door and delivered to their schools. I am just not a morning person. I really don't know how you do it. Oh, and the homework - how do I know how to help the kids? What if I don't know the answer and tell them something wrong?" See how it goes both ways? Ok - so those are the ones off the top of my head. Most of the things people say to me that they think are big deals about homeschooling are not big deals at all when you really think about them one at a time. Parenting is a learn as you go process. You'll figure it out. You'll adjust what doesn't work.

Why I Homeschool. This kid right here. I could stop right there. I figured that if I am going to share a little about it - I should share why I do it.

There are quite a few reasons that are great. Here are some of the perks and reasons:

1. To give your kids a more individualized education

2. To incorporate character/beliefs into the curric.

3. The lifestyle (which I will talk about later)

4. Cost vs. private school

These are great reasons why we still homschool. But these reasons had nothing to do with why we started.

John David and I both loved school growing up. We were looking for a private school and planned to stay very involved in the kid's education.

Short version of the story: Diagnosis from Autism, to sensory issues to Asperger's.

Going to a classroom is like going to restaurant where the music it too loud. You can talk across the table for a while - but eventually it becomes too much work to try ignore or talk over the music. It wears you out to try and listen that hard for that long. Do you ever just need quiet? You need it to recharge. It works like a nap does.

David just needs more of it.

If you met him today - you wouldn't know about all this. No more therapy. No more school environment. We do go to a big church and he takes classes from time to time. So it isn't like he never experiences that.

I am in control of it now, though. He is very talented and well adjusted. Very creative and articulate.

So that is why we started. We never found a school, public or private, that offered what we thought he needed. Alex went to school a few months and then wanted to come home and do school with his brother. We will start 2nd and 1st grades this year. It will be year 3 of homeschool for us.

July 13, 2005

1. Clean up on isle 12! This kid, playing with a truck in the middle of the frozen food section of Super Wal-mart in NC. Taking my kids to place like this is a bit like dropping marbles - they go every where and then collide and go another direction. Always under foot and yet scooting away. It isn't their fault that they behave like this. See, until like a year ago, they never ever were allowed out of a buggy or double stroller or the baby bjorn wrapped around me. (Ok, so David hasn't ridden in one of those things in forever..but you get the picture.) Now I hardly ever run errands with them. So they are a bit like puppies all over the place when we go anywhere. Or marbles. So if I mention loosing my marbles...it is no small thing. I will add this to the list of things I must work on.

2. I did NOT know that when you look at this thru yahoo or thru explorer that it looks different. Pictures are horizontal on yahoo and vertical thru explorer. Hmmm. Ok, so not a huge revelation there.

3. I have had several people ask me lately about homeschooling. So I will probably talk about that for the next week. I know Stacey homeschools and Kristy has teaching ties - so not like ya have to - but if you guys wanted to think about what you know, or resources to recommend, it would be super cool. One of my plans for this blog was to use it as a reference for questions about homeschooling.

4. No # 4 now that I think about it. Oh, except I am reading new stuff. On the left there is a list. Yes, I will always be reading Pride & Prej. The 1776 book is excellent!!

Thing one I am digging right now with scrapping - this book, Graphic Design Cookbook, is great.

Lo ideas, fonts, etc. AND no cooking whatsoever. My kind of cookbook. Got the idea for the font that I used in this Tattoo Lo about my sister from the book. Really liking this book. Got it because I know what I like when I see it. And I like a big variety of stuff.

SO I was wondering - why do I like what I like? AND if I could figure that out...then maybe I could produce more of what I like.

Really, I just want Sara to instantly become a graphic artist to teach me. Ok, so what is a snobby scrapbooker like me doing with Mat Stack from Joanne's? Ok, never seen a stack before that made me want the whole thing. Then I found this cute little book of great colors. I don't know if it is tone or hue or whatever that I like about it - but I like it. A lot. I find myself just wanting to use this for LO's. The book is like 5 " x 5"...so not a ton of paper. Really liking this.

Thirdly, rub ons. I am trying ever so diligently to only get black or white so that I can mix and match and prolong the life span of these packets o' letters.

But as Yoda said, "Do or do not, there is no try." So in my "trying" I did get some other colors.

I am learning over July and August about Adobe. So maybe one day I will know how to just print out any cool thing I want to say on a picture or on paper in any direction I want. But for now....I really like these.

Ok, so all that said for my enjoyment only. Other people seem to have an actual purpose for their blogs. Me, I see purpose in so many other things. Why drag it in here too? kelli

July 12, 2005

Happy Birthday Stacey!! I don't have any actual pictures of Stacey and me....just pretend ones like this Lo that I did a few months back. As you can see, Stace is a little taller than I am:) So - right, we have never met. But I really forget that most days. I do. An e-mail from Stace is like warm sunshine. So happy birthday Stacey!! kelli